


I First Met Him in a Dream..

by friedshrimp



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Dream AU, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, M/M, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-29
Updated: 2018-10-29
Packaged: 2019-08-09 13:15:57
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,534
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16450661
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/friedshrimp/pseuds/friedshrimp
Summary: Two fated boys meet in a dream, and struggle to realize that reality is nothing like the dream world.





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is going to be a canon AU where there is still bending and the war, but things dont happen as they did in canon. (Im changing Zuko's and Sokka's meeting/ adding more interactions) I still dont have anything fully planned out, though!
> 
> This first chapter is going to be short, and its just the dream that they meet it. Future chapters will be longer!

⠀A boy squatted at the edge of a pond, his golden eyes entranced by the sight. The water swirled, going in a steady, clockwise whirl. It moved freely, without being coaxed by a man or animal’s will. It wasn't perfectly clear, and it would even splash upon the edges at times, but it was still beautiful. Several rocks and other small debris floated in the pond, threatening to disrupt the flow. Yet the water never stopped moving, it was as if it knew exactly where it had to go.

⠀The boy’s thoughts stopped in an instant as he heard footsteps coming from the gathering of bushes and flowers in front of him. They were loud, and not the least bit cautious; comfortable. He lifted his head to see another boy, who must've been his same age. Around a few centimeters shorter than him, and a lean, yet muscular build. His dark blue eyes were unlike anything he had seen before. What stood out the most, though, were his clothes. He was wearing pure white, which wasn't common for any of the four nations to do. The fire bender took a look down, and saw that he, too, was wearing all white. This definitely struck him as odd, but not quite as odd as the other boys face when he looked back up.

⠀His half lidded eyes and dreamy smile was enough to make the fire bender uncomfortable with uncertainty, and he quickly stood to his feet, not wanting to be the only one close to the ground should this stranger turn out to be a threat.

-

⠀He stepped through the colorful life with no disregard, easily stomping onto the flowers of red, and blue, and purple. He had no memory of how he got here, but all he knew was that he had to get out. He heard the soft sound of water in the distance, and felt welcomed by it. He quickened his pace until he finally reached a break in the forest. What greeted him was not only an ethereal pond, but an ethereal person.

⠀The white robes against pale skin and dark black hair were beautiful. He could put no effort into hiding his staring gaze. That is, until the sight stood to his feet.

⠀In an instant, all of the water tribe boy’s suspicions came to him, and his soft expression turned hard. His blue eyes sternly pointed towards the boy with furrowed brows, and his hand was grasping the handle of his boomerang. The white clothes prevented him from knowing exactly what nation the stranger came from, but he entertained the possibility of him being fire nation, in other words; a threat.

-

⠀Both were on guard, yet both were feeling a sense of tranquility, and a force driving them together. Without thought, the footsteps of the two began getting closer to each other. Strong, confident steps of a warrior meeting the quiet, proper steps of a prince.

⠀Just as they were about to collide, the colorful world they were in turned white, and thats how their meeting ceased.

⠀The two of them assumed that was the end of it: just an odd dream of an untouchable character.

⠀However, just as the pond continued to move, so will their fates.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading the first chapter of my first fanfiction EVER! Please bare with me and my 0 writing experience!
> 
> Please comment your thoughts it will be greatly appreciated! And itll help me decide to keep this going or just abandon it


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ive decided to set this with Zuko being back home because I really enjoy writing the sibling dynamic of Zuko and Azula. Im aware this story wont make sense for canon but thats why its an AU!

⠀He awoke with a peculiar feeling in his chest, unlike any he had felt before. It was light and reminded him of the pure white robes and vibrant flowers, and he suddenly found himself missing that place. If it hadn’t been for his sister insistently shaking his shoulders, he would have rolled over and tried his best to return there.

⠀He groaned and sat up, rubbing away the sleep from his eyes. As his consciousness returned to him, the feeling in his chest left. Reality slowly set in and he stood, cracking all of his joints with loud pops. 

⠀“It took forever to wake you up Sokka! Like, longer than usual, which is really saying something.” The irritation was evident on Katara’s voice, but her soft smile revealed that part of her was happy to see how peaceful her brother looked this morning. 

⠀He tied back his wolftail and shrugged. “I guess I just had a good dream.” He tried not to dwell on it too much, but it was a really, really good dream. It almost freaked him out now that he thought back to how happy a simple pond and random boy in white robes made him feel. 

⠀“Well, maybe if you work hard at life, your dream will come true. How about you start by helping me pick up some food at the market for breakfast?” She wasn’t aware of the contents of his dream, but she assumed, knowing Sokka, that it was about either the war ending or him surrounded by a harem of girls. Or both. 

⠀He walked out to the market with his sister right by his side, and the thoughts of his dream gradually left his mind, though he would never forget it.

-

⠀“Good morning, Zuzu.” 

⠀The prince sat up quickly, needing no time to gain his alertness. The gentle yet sharp voice was enough to send a chill down his spine, and there was no way he could ever sleep through it. 

⠀“You overslept, its almost noon. There’s a war meeting starting in ten minutes. Is something bothering you?” The condescending concern of her voice made Zuko grit his teeth. 

⠀“No, why?” He was curt, not wanting to lead his sister onto any suspicions. 

⠀“Oh, no reason. It just seemed like you were so lost in your dream, I was almost too scared to wake you up,” The princess pouted, and Zuko doubted her words. He knew that she had no hesitation waking him up, and her caring words were just another one of her games. 

⠀“Get out so I can change.” He stood up, knowing he would only have enough time to put on clean clothes before he had to rush to the meeting. 

⠀“So rude as always.” Azula stepped out of the room, giving Zuko one last glance from the corner of her eye as she went through the intricate doorway of his bedroom. 

⠀He undressed himself, and as his red robe slid to the ground, the memories of soft white fabric came to his mind. He had assumed he would forget all about that dream as he was woken up, but the memories came forward strongly. Almost as if they came from real experiences. 

⠀He felt a little strange, but he wasted no time putting on a fresh set of clothes and quickly making his way to the war meeting. As his heels clicked on the marble ground of the hallway, he felt his chest swirling with an unknown feeling. He made a quick mental note to ask his uncle about it later. 

-

⠀Later that evening, Sokka sat with the rest of the his friends around a campfire, his map of the fire nation held out in front of him. 

⠀“Alright. I know we’ve all heard the news about the banished prince being back in the fire nation.” He was straight to the point, and Katara, Toph, and Aang all nodded along to his talking. “And frankly, I believe it to be a little suspicious.” 

⠀Aang cocked his head at this, and Katara spoke up. “How? All he cared about was capturing Aang so he would be welcome back.” 

⠀Sokka had’nt been present at any of the run-ins with the banished prince, but he heard all the stories of Aang being almost captured. 

⠀“Yes, but think about it: Fire Lord Ozai would never simply accept his kid back home, especially not if he didnt bring back the Avatar’s body. He must be planning to use him for something, and I intend to find out what it is.” He knew the fire lord didn't actually care about his son or want him home, so as soon as he heard the news his head swirled with suspicions until he finally landed on this most plausible one. 

⠀“Ok...But how do you expect to find out? We can’t simply ask him, can we?” Toph gave some sarcasm as input, but it was a valid question. 

⠀“One of us will spy on him in his own home.” Sokka was confident in his idea, but the shocked faces of all his friends made him retreat a little. “I-It’s not as crazy as it sounds! If we can just get someone to follow the prince around, we will know for sure what he’s planning!”

⠀Everyone looked slightly more convinced, but stull skeptical. “Who’s going to do it?”

⠀“Hmm…” Sokka crossed his arms and furrowed his brow. He hadn’t thought that through yet. 

⠀“It would be way too dangerous to let Aang anywhere near the palace, so we cant use him.” Katara was as protective as ever.

⠀“And my footsteps are wayy too loud.” Toph easily proved herself to not be stealthy enough. “Why don’t you go, Sokka? It was your idea anyway.” 

⠀Sokka felt a piece of him feel slightly uncomfortable at the thought of being so near the enemy and not being allowed to attack, but he figured that if he ever wanted to find out what's happening behind the walls of the fire nation’s royal palace, he would have to do it himself. “Alright. I’ll go.”

⠀Katara moved herself in front of him, and placed her hands on his shoulders. “You have to promise me to be safe, okay?” Her eyes shifted as looked at her brother, her tone was uneasy. 

⠀Sokka simply shrugged her worry off with a confident grin. “Don’t worry, I can kick that prince’s ass anyday.” Katara gave a weak giggle, but she did feel much more assured now. 

-

⠀Sneaking into the palace was surprisingly easy. All it took was Toph half-way crushing a guard they saw out in town, and threatening him his life in exchange for his clothes. 

⠀Sokka now walked down the hallway of the royal home, his chest held high in his guard uniform, making his way to the prince’s sleeping room. It was quite easy to find with the help of the map of the layout he had secured a while back. 

⠀He peeked his head through the doorway, expecting to see a vile, hateful teenager in there. Most likely burning pictures of kittens or something. 

⠀What he most definitely did not expect to see was familiar black hair and pale skin. He looked almost vulnerable sitting on the edge of the bed, the way his scar was completely visible through thin strands of hair and his expression was soft. 

⠀The spy felt his stomach drop, and he felt bile rise up in the back of his throat. He quickly looked away, leaning his back against the wall that concealed him. His hand was clasped tightly around his mouth, in an attempt to muffle the sounds of his uneven breathing. 

⠀In an instant, the fond memories of his dream were stained with hatred. He could swear he envisioned the same scene, but this time, the grass and flowers were a dead grey, and the pure white robes were stained with an ugly shade of red. 

⠀The child of the man he hated the most had appeared in his dream. In his thoughts. In his head. The thought of it made Sokka sick. He figured there would be another opportunity to learn about the fire lord, and left without a second thought. He was in such a rush to get away from the very boy he moved towards just a night before that he didn't even notice the faint footsteps behind him.

⠀The prince stood outside his door with a puzzled look. He almost called out to the guard, but he was already practically running down the hall. He couldn't even catch a glimpse of his face.

⠀However, another was able to see his face, and Azula smiled to herself as she retreated back to her room as silently as she peeked out, content with the new information she had gathered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I intend this to be very slow burn, but dont worry I will add more zuko/sokka interaction soon !!
> 
> Comments and kudos are greatly appreciated! <3


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys try and talk out their troubles

⠀“Uncle, there’s been something bothering my mind. I don’t know what to make out of my thoughts.” Zuko kneeled on the cold ground in front of the cell, his head bowed low.

⠀He got no response, Iroh simply looked away, refusing to make eye contact. 

⠀“I know you don’t want to listen to me, especially after the things I said but...please. You’re the only person I trust and I need to get some things off my chest.” his voice cracked and he clenched his fists around the fabric of his robes. 

⠀Zuko took a deep breath. Knowing he would get no reply, he continued anyways, simply letting all his troubling thoughts leave his mouth in a jumbled heap. 

⠀“A few nights ago, I had a dream. I was sitting by a pond, in a place I’ve never been before. It was beautiful, though…” he trailed off, knowing he must sound so stupid right now, talking about some silly dream as if it was important. Still, he allowed the memories to come back to surface, putting the visuals to words. “And..And then there was this boy, he was unfamiliar to me, and yet I could make out his face clearly. He was wearing white and so was I. There was this force? Bringing us closer together, but I woke up before I got too close.” 

⠀He glanced around, suddenly paranoid that someone could be listening. He thankfully saw no one.

⠀“I feel like it has something to do with my destiny. Maybe I’m meant to fight him? But that doesn't feel right, since I felt peaceful when I went close to him. I can’t think of anything else, though.”

⠀He sighed, closing his eyes. He wasn't expecting to hear Iroh say a thing, but it still hurt to be ignored. He rose to his feet and gave his uncle one last gaze before exiting the cell room, returning to his room as quietly as he left. 

⠀Talking about it did make him feel slightly better, he guessed. But the lack of response from his uncle didn't help him to understand anything any more than he already did. 

⠀He lay on his bed, his eyes staring up at the decorative ceiling. No matter how many times he replayed the dream in his mind, he couldn't figure out what it meant. He couldn't even figure out why he cared so much about it. 

⠀The logical part of his brain told him that it was just a silly dream: a random scene in his brain that had no real significance. But he couldn't ignore his feelings. The fluttering feeling in his chest, the magnetic pull towards the boy, it was all too real for him to ignore. 

⠀He groaned and ran his fingers through his hair, letting his exhaustion overcome him as he fell into a restless sleep. 

-

⠀His sleep was cut short by a gentle knocking on the door, and before he even had a chance to  
get up, Azula was sitting on the edge of his bed. Something about the way she was smiling let Zuko know that she was only here to torment him.

⠀“So sorry to interrupt you Zuzu, you weren't having that dream again, were you?”

⠀“What dream?” 

⠀“Don’t play dumb, I heard all about it when you were talking to that fatty last night.” 

⠀“You spied on me!”

⠀“And what do you plan to do about it? You can’t simply tell someone that you were being spied on while visiting your imprisoned uncle, now can you?”

⠀The prince grit his teeth, knowing that his sister was right. If anyone were to find out he would be in more trouble than Azula.

⠀“Besides, I’m here to help you. He had blue eyes didn’t he? Do you wanna turn away your only chance at finding out who that boy is?”

⠀At this, Zuko instantly leaned forward, his curiosity getting the better of him. He knew she would never genuinely want to help him, but he was so desperate to find out who was in his dream that he would even take his chances with the tricky princess. And the fact that she knew his eye color must mean her information was at least somewhat credible.

⠀“Of course, I’d expect a favor in return for the information. It’s only fair.”

⠀“What do you want?”

⠀“I want you to retrieve something for me. A scroll, it’s about earthbending and I’m very interested in reading it.” 

⠀The prince squinted, the sister he knew would never offer information for a stupid scroll. She must have something else planned. Maybe she thought that the information would torment him enough to give her some entertainment. Maybe she was planning to simply lie to him. Whatever was going on through her head didn't matter too much to him, though. 

⠀“Deal. Just tell me all you know.”

⠀“Well, I dont know that much more than you. Considering we both met him when he came to the palace.”

⠀“He came to the palace?? When?”

⠀“Relax, brother, it was a very short and uneventful stay.” 

⠀“How do you know it’s the boy from my dream?” 

⠀“Call it women’s intuition.” Her real reasoning was that, after witnessing the boy’s reaction to seeing her brother, he must've had a similar dream. She had connected all of this after overhearing his conversation with Iroh. This was something she wanted to keep to herself, though. At least for now. 

⠀Zuko ran through his memories of people he met in the palace, trying to figure out who was most likely to be the boy. “Was he the guard that ran out down the hallway?” 

⠀“I wouldn't call him a guard, but yes.” 

⠀“Why was he here..?”

⠀“Beats me.” She shrugged, and left. Possibly leaving Zuko with more questions than what she had answered.

-

⠀The gaang was not expecting to hear Sokka’s footsteps returning so quickly. They all ran up to him, each of them wondering the same thing: what caused him to retreat back?

⠀“Did you get caught?”

⠀“Or did you just get too scared?”

⠀“Did you find out that the entire royal palace was actually a fake and that the real fire lord is living in some remote place far from here??”

⠀Sokka shook his head, walking past his friends. “No, no, I came back because I wanted to, that’s all.”

⠀They all knew it was unlike Sokka to turn back on plans, so they decided to leave it alone for now, knowing he would open up when he wanted to.

⠀Which happened to be later that night. He crawled over to where his sister, the one he trusted the most, was sleeping.

⠀“Hey, Katara, can I talk to you about something?” he whispered rather loudly as he shook her shoulder gently. 

⠀After a groan, she rolled and sat up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. “Of course, what’s up?” She turned to look at her brother, and was surprised to see such an expression on his face. He looked very frustrated, and confused and upset. His brows were deeply furrowed and he was chewing at his lower lip. 

⠀“Well I had this dream, and it was really weird.” 

⠀“Uh huh..” Katara lifted an eyebrow, intrigued to find out how a dream could upset someone so much. 

⠀“There was a lot of plants, and flowers, and a pond. But the weirdest part was that there was this guy by the edge of the pond. He was like, the prettiest guy I’d ever seen—” he grimaced at his own words, but continued on. He wanted Katara to know everything. “And right before I woke up, I was walking towards him, and it just felt...right? Like, it felt like i was supposed to go close to him.”

⠀Katara chuckled. “That sounds like a pretty girly dream you had there, Sokka.” 

⠀He frowned, “No but listen, yesterday, when I went to spy on the fire lord’s son...I saw the same guy from my dream. I saw the prince.” 

⠀“So you saw the prince in your dream before you actually met him? That is pretty weird.” 

⠀“It’s more than weird! It’s—creepy!” He accidentally raised his voice, the frustrations too much to hold in. He hated the prince, and he hated that he was in his dream, but what he hated most of all was how confusing all of this was. 

⠀“Maybe it wasn't actually the prince? It could've just been some other person who looked a little like him.”  
⠀  
⠀“No, it was definitely him. He had the same scar and everything.” 

⠀Katara searched for an answer to give Sokka, but found none. All she could offer was a kind hand on his shoulder, and soothing words. “No matter what happened in that dream, it doesn't matter right now. You can't let something so uncertain keep bothering you. For now, I want you to just focus on yourself, ok? We can deal with the fire prince another time.” 

⠀Sokka nodded, his feelings settling down. Although he couldn't completely ignore his thoughts, he allowed them to leave his mind for now, crawling back to his blanket and finally sleeping.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> comments and kudos are appreciated and help me stay motivated to keep this going!


End file.
